Relax, Meet Friends & Enjoy A Moment

A Corner With History
The corner of 4th Avenue and 20th Street Northwest has had a history. A longtime friend, Harley Schmidt, was once giving me a ride home as we passed the building. “You know that building’s been there a long time,” said Harley. “It was there back when I was a kid. It was a grocery store, you know, 4th Avenue Foods.”

Some 49 years ago, when we moved into the neighborhood, the building was indeed 4th Avenue Foods. Known for how cold the milk was in the coolers, 4th Avenue was not really a large grocery store, but more of a convenient stop on your way home to pick up a couple of items that may have been forgotten on this week’s grocery list.

Though most everyone can tell you about 4th Avenue Foods, not many can remember when the store closed and the building began to fall into disrepair.

Bringing It Back To Life
That decline set the stage for a new chapter when new owners Terri and Justin Martin moved to Minot from Colorado and began the long process of bringing the 4th Avenue Foods building back to life. “It was sad,” said Terri. “The building was a neighborhood destination.” But time and vacancy had taken its toll on the building, and so the renovation would take time and vision.

Their vision would lead them to an idea: a neighborhood beer and wine bar. “A place where neighbors could get together and share a drink, or two,” laughed Justin, “with no pressure.”

Their vision and idea came to fruition a few months later when Trident Drinkery was born.

Trident Drinkery is Born
The Trident was created as a neighborhood gathering place for Minot — a warm, easygoing spot where people can slow down, meet friends, try something new, and feel at home.

“I look around today, and already a lot of the people in the Trident are regulars,” said Justin. “And we really haven’t been open all that long.”

But that is what makes Trident Drinkery so special. If you are a regular and you choose to invite someone to share a beer or a glass of wine, you do so with confidence.

The folks behind the bar? “We knew we would be the ones that work and make this place (Trident Drinkery) what it is,” said Terri. “When we came up with the idea, we always knew it would be our vision, our dream, and of course our business.”

Both Terri and Justin expressed that The Trident (Drinkery) is a family business. “We live in and love Minot,” reflects Terri.

“The trident symbol is incredibly personal for us,” continues Terri. “It is a symbol of family, friendship, and community.”

According to Terri and Justin, the neighborhood bar has been a vanishing institution for too long.

And as all neighborhood bars proclaim…come join us and know that you are a stranger only once.